Nejiten fanfic (Not good at giving titles, lol)
by Rollop
Summary: Neji and Tenten go on a seemingly simple B-rank mission only to find that it's more complicated than they think. There's a little more description in the story. :)
1. Chapter 1: Tenten's POV

_**(A/N**__: Hey! Nejiten is probably my favorite pairing in Naruto so I wanted to start a fanfic for them. They're around twenty in my story, and it's after the Fourth Shinobi world war. :/ In here, Neji did __**not **__die. Anyway, if I'm doing something wrong feel free to tell me._

_**Disclaimer**__: I do not own Neji or Tenten or anything from Naruto. I do, however, own Sojin.__**)**_

* * *

The tree had a wonderful overlook, and it felt great just sitting there with the cool breezes. That's why it was one of Tenten's favorite places. It was soothing, and she could have her privacy. Of course not all of the time, though. Neji and Rock lee _sometimes_ joined her.

It looked about six o' clock now. Tenten knew it was time to get back home.

She jumped off of the tree, looked into the distance, and began walking. Today was the last day of Tenten's relaxing break. Tomorrow she would have to start her missions again. They were getting a little tougher with every month that passed by, but she didn't mind. There were still the easy missions too.

"Tenten."

"Hmm?" Tenten turned around at the abrupt voice. When she saw that the person was Neji, she smiled. "Hey. I was just heading back home. What're you doing out here?"

"Gai found a B-rank mission for the two of us tomorrow," Neji said. "We need to assist someone on his way to the Hidden village of the Sand."

Tenten sighed. She didn't like those easy types of missions, and this one sounded as plain as ever. Not to mention it usually took about three days to get to the Sand village, and Tenten didn't like wasting that much time. "Alright..."

"I know you do not like to escort, but someone has to do it eventually and it so happens to be us." Neji approached Tenten and stood next to her.

"It's just, ever since the Fourth World War the assignments have been quite plain. I guess it doesn't matter, but… I just hope that we can have some more _interesting _missions soon." Tenten sighed and continued walking towards the village. Her house wasn't far off, she knew.

Neji casually walked beside her. "I understand."

Tenten glanced at him. "Anyway," she started. "Where's Rock Lee? Is he going to come with us tomorrow, or is it just going to be me, you, and the guy we're escorting?"

"He will be going on some sort of C-rank mission, I believe," Neji told. "So, no. He won't be coming with us."

"Okay, I guess. Are you going to walk with me to my home?" Tenten asked.

Neji shook his head. "No. Just to the gate."

She nodded.

When they reached the entrance, Neji stopped. "I'll talk to you more about the mission tomorrow. I will come get you at seven 'o clock, we'll get the client, and then we'll leave for the Hidden village of the Sand."

"Alright, sounds like a plan," Tenten said.

Neji bobbed his head once, and waved goodbye before walking off. He probably had some things to take care of before leaving.

* * *

While walking into her home, Tenten dropped her scroll that she always carried onto the floor. Although she was twenty now, she missed living with her parents; even if they weren't always the easiest to deal with. It just felt so empty living by herself.

She drank some water, and then brushed her teeth. It was decided that Tenten would get a good bit of rest tonight, so she wouldn't feel tired for tomorrow's B-rank mission. She undid her buns and put her nightgown on.

_Alright, Tenten, your week of relaxation is over, you gotta be a real Shinobi and work tomorrow. _Tenten sighed and drifted off into sleep.

* * *

_Knock, knock._

"Uh…" Tenten moaned.

_Knock knock!_

She stood up, and pushed her hair out of her way. "Hold on, I got to do something!" Tenten stood up; she grabbed her hair bands and bobby pins and quickly formed her hair into two messy buns, and then changed into her ninja outfit before going to the door to open it.

Neji looked somewhat impatient, standing at her entrance. "It's seven," he told her.

"I know, I know." Tenten stepped outside after quickly grabbing her weapon scroll. "Sorry, I just overslept."

"That's fine," Neji said. "Let's go, the person is waiting by the village exit, I think." He started walking at a slow pace, and didn't wait for Tenten to reply.

She followed closely behind him.

On the way to the village exit Neji explained anything that needed clarification, though there wasn't much that needed to be known. The mission was really simple, and Tenten knew it was just another boring B-rank, so she didn't bother asking more.

* * *

The man that wanted escorting wore a mahogany colored robe, and he actually looked quite capable of travelling by himself. Tenten supposed that he just wanted reassurance that he'd be safe, and maybe he even just wanted some company.

"Hello," he greeted. "My name is Sojin. You are my escorts, I presume?"

Neji nodded. "I'm Neji and this is Tenten. You want to go to the Hidden village of the Sand?"

"Yes," Sojin replied. "That's where my home is. I came here to visit someone, and now I am ready to return to my wife."

"You have everything you need, then?" Neji asked.

"Of course. As I've said, I'm ready to go home now."

"Well, let's head off to the Sand village…" Tenten said. She felt extremely disappointed that she'd have to waste three days on this guy, but that was how it was for Shinobi. At least she and Neji would get paid.

* * *

They travelled for the whole day, and Tenten felt exhausted. Finally, when it was presumably around eight o' clock, Sojin said that they'd better rest up. Tenten of course agreed and sat down on a nearby tree-stump. Their surroundings were still somewhat forest-like instead of desert-ish—which would be a sign that the Hidden village of the Sand was getting closer.

Neji sat on the ground next to Tenten. He had brought a small folded up tent with that he carried on his back. "Tenten, you can sleep in the tent once I'm done setting it up."

"Oh, that's fine," Tenten replied. She yawned. "You're the one who brought it with; you should be the one sleeping in it."

"If you two won't take it," said Sojin. "I will."

Tenten didn't like that guy in the least. He was obviously selfish, arrogant, and he was hard to put up with at times.

"Tenten," Neji briefly glared at Sojin before looking at her. "You sleep in the tent," he persisted. "Anyway, I brought it more for you than me…" He muttered.

That made Tenten smile slightly. Neji was really thoughtful sometimes, and she enjoyed that. "Thanks Ne—"

_Crash!_

At once, Tenten stood up and looked around. She didn't see anyone. If somebody was around wouldn't she or Neji have known?

"What was that?" asked Neji, just as alert as Tenten, if not more.

Suddenly something hit Tenten. She tried to block it, but it was fast. Realization came to mind: she was covered in a thick net. Was someone trying to capture her?

Tenten struggled. She felt around for her Kunai, and once she felt it she grabbed it and began slashing her way out of the trap.

This all happened in a matter of seconds. What were Sojin and Neji doing? She assumed that Neji was able to fight back whoever was trying to hurt them, he was strong. A strange burning and tingling sensation came over Tenten. It was as if something was stinging her while she was trying to escape from the net. She managed to get a hole through the tough thread but she was beginning to feel overwhelmed—almost paralyzed. What was happening?

There were shouts and other strange sounds that Tenten couldn't make out. Was that Neji she was hearing? She was trying to see through the net, but her vision was blurring, and she was feeling weak. Did these people poison her or something? Was Neji alright?

Everything was drifting away. Tenten fell helplessly to the ground and her eyes closed.

* * *

"They don't seem so bad; I think they're strong…"

"I agree. They'll have to do."

A buzzing feeling made its way through Tenten as she realized what had happened. She didn't open her eyes when she heard the voices. Instead she pretended to still be unconscious.

"You're sure they can't get out of here?" The voice sounded almost like Sojin. What was he doing? What was going on?

Tenten was way too dizzy to think.

"Yeah," another voice replied, pausing before continuing. "Let's just get out of here for now. We'll come back in an hour or so."

Steps were heard and then a banging sound. They left. Tenten waited a good couple of minutes before gaining some strength to sit up and look around.

Everything was gloomy, but from what Tenten could see, she was in some sort of closed in empty room. She was sitting on the cold floor and there was nothing else but her and Neji in this place. Neji was on the opposite side.

She tried to stand up but realized her legs were chained to the ground; and her hands too. Tenten was strong, but she couldn't break metal. "Neji," she whispered.

Neji said nothing. He was unmoving, probably still unconscious.

"Neji," Tenten said again, this time slightly louder.

He moved, groaning while doing so.

Tenten watched him. She scanned around; making sure no one was in the small room with them. "Come on, get up."

"Tenten," Neji mumbled. He seemed to finally have been awakened.

"I'm here," she replied.

Neji gazed around, and sat up. He soon realized that he was chained up as well. "Where are we?"

Tenten shook her head. "I don't know, Neji."

"They poisoned us, didn't they? Sojin, he attacked me along with the other three." Neji frowned and cringed at something. Was he hurt?

"Are you alright?" Tenten asked, keeping her voice down. "Is your arm injured?"

"A little, but I'll be fine," Neji replied.

Tenten explained to him what she had heard, which wasn't very much, but he listened anyway. This mission was going badly. Who was this Sojin guy, and why was he trying to hurt them? Tenten remained silent, and so did Neji.

* * *

The two ninjas had waited for something to happen for maybe forty minutes, and finally the door opened a crack, and then completely. Some light shined in through the door from the other room, and someone stepped inside.

"They're awake," the figure said. Tenten recognized the person to be Sojin.

Neji immediately struggled with the chains on his arms and legs. He stopped, and growled at Sojin. "Why are you doing this? What's going on?"

"I needed a couple of people for something," said Sojin. "I decided I'd get someone to 'escort' me to the Sand village, and when you were unsuspecting I'd capture you, with the help of some friends of course." He chuckled. "Anyhow, you'll help me."

Tenten was furious. "No way!" she spat. "You let us go, _now_."

How could such a seemingly simple B-rank mission go so terribly? Shinobi were trained to expect the unexpected, though. Tenten found herself thinking that this mission would be like any other: They'd escort the person to his destination, come back, and then get paid. But instead, this _happened._

"Shut your trap," Sojin replied calmly. "I'm going to keep you in here until its morning. Then I'll take you to the true place I wanted to go to all along." He paused to look at the two ninjas, and then he turned around and began walking.

"Wait!" Neji said.

Sojin, instead of listening, opened the door and walked out; his mahogany colored robe drifting after him. He closed the door and presumably locked it.

Neji scowled and looked back at Tenten. "_Dammit_."

* * *

The two Shinobi waited over five hours. Nothing happened, at _all. _They had nothing to do but wait. Tenten talked every once in a while, complaining that the first time for a week that she goes on a mission _this _happens.

Neji mainly just agreed with what she was saying and seemed absent the whole time. He meditated and sometimes tried to break out of the chains, but that was all he really did.

For some odd reason, Tenten believed the chains were stronger than any other regular ones, which wasn't a good thing. She tried everything to break out of them, and even made a clone to try to break them, which proved unsuccessful.

Not to mention they both still felt weak from the poison they were supposedly injected with.

How were they going to get out of this? Tenten assumed this to be a simple mission, but how were they supposed to know that it was not.

Tenten wished she was back at her empty home rather than this hellish room.

* * *

_**(A/N: **__Alright. First chapter is done. :) _

_I appreciate any constructive criticism that you might have for me so feel free to PM or review to tell me your thoughts._

_Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Thanks! __**)**_


	2. Chapter 2: Neji's POV

_**(A/N: **__In this Chapter it's gonna be Neji's POV, unlike the first chapter, where it was Tenten's. _

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto or any of the Naruto characters, Masashi Kishimoto does. I own my OCs that's all, and of course this story. _

_I'm not exactly sure whether I have to do a Disclaimer every Chapter… Probably not.**)**_

* * *

"Don't try anything," Sojin told them.

It was morning now, and Sojin finally took Neji and Tenten out of the enclosed room and into a slightly bigger one. He had people with him; about three and they were completely covered in dark mahogany colored cloths—somewhat like Sojin himself.

Who were these people? Neji took his time to observe everything in the larger room that he was in now. There was another door to his right. He assumed that it was the exit to outside.

Tenten was beside him, looking uneasy.

Their hands were chained together still, but one of Sojin's guards, someone Neji thought to be called Masato, took off the chains from their feet so they could walk. Neji was tempted to try to escape when that happened, but he knew it would likely be foolish.

"I'm going to take you somewhere," Sojin explained. "You two best behave yourselves, it'll take at least five hours to make it there, and I don't want any trouble."

Neji glared at the man. "What do you want from us?"

"My brother, he's waiting," Sojin replied. There was something menacing about him that Neji couldn't place. Obviously his intentions weren't good. Neji would have to figure out a way for Tenten and him to break free—or something bad would happen.

"Who's your brother?" Tenten asked.

Sojin opened the exit. "No one you would be familiar with," he stated. "Let's go." His followers grabbed Neji and Tenten, pulling the two Shinobi with them as they followed Sojin.

When they were outside, Neji could see that they were nowhere near Sunagakure. They were in a forest.

Neji was contemplating a way out of this. He felt groggy. _How long do the effects of this poison last? _He wondered.

If only they had brought Lee with. With him here they would've actually stood a chance against Sojin and his guards.

Sojin seemed strong, though. When Neji was trying to fight him off if was difficult, and not many people could overwhelm Neji Hyuuga. Sojin must have used some sort of poison to weaken him, he _must _have. Why else would Neji feel so fragile?

Tenten looked the same: weakened and tired. Whatever poison Sojin used, it worked.

"We will head down this path," Sojin said. He was pointing towards a fuller part of the woods. He waited a few seconds before starting to walk.

Neji didn't say anything in response, and Tenten remained silent as well. The guards weren't pulling or pushing them like they did before, but instead just walked along their side.

"Got anything in mind Neji, you know, of what to do?" Tenten whispered.

"Not exactly," Neji whispered back.

She nodded and returned her attention to the path they were taking.

* * *

An hour passed by as they walked on. Neji and Tenten conversed quietly, and tried not to be noticed by Sojin or any of his ninja followers. Neji figured out that Masato supposedly held the keys to the chains on Tenten and Neji's arms. He wondered if he could somehow get them from him…

The chains on his arms prevented him from using his Gentle-fist. His legs could only work as a distraction if he were to attack Sojin or the guards. He and Tenten could attempt to run, but what would that prove to do? Sojin didn't seem stupid; he probably knew that Neji was trying to plan an escape.

When Sojin came to a halt, so did Tenten, Neji, and the other three ninjas.

"What are you doing?" asked Masato. It seemed to Neji that this man was slightly higher in rank than the other two followers.

Sojin didn't say anything. He gazed around for a moment before turning to his guards and the two captured Shinobi. "I hear something. Keep an eye on them; I want to go check it out."

The three ninjas nodded and Sojin walked off.

What did he hear? They waited a few minutes until Sojin was out of sight. Neji realized that this would be a good opportunity to attack and escape. Sojin's followers didn't seem so tough, if Neji and Tenten could just… Yes.

Neji wondered if Tenten was thinking the same thing. He looked at her, trying to decipher what her conclusion was about this situation. He caught her eye, and for a split second it looked as if she knew what he was thinking.

He activated his Byakugan and without a second thought he quickly maneuvered behind Masato and side kicked him. The ninja shouted and the other two swarmed around.

Tenten rapped her chained arms around one of the ninjas and pulled, strangling him. Neji tried to distract the other two. He kicked at them, and one particular sturdy blow managed to reach Masato's head; causing him to stumble to the ground.

"Sojin, Sojin, they're trying to escape!" Masato shouted, bleeding from his cheek. He pulled out a sword from the bottom of his robe and clumsily tried to swing it at them.

Neji grabbed Tenten by the shoulder. She turned to him and let go of the guard she was choking.

"Come on let's go," he said while signaling for her to follow.

There was shouting. Masato ran after the two Shinobi and he was behind Neji. "Stop running!"

If Neji didn't have the chains on his arms he would have fought him right then and there. He ran faster, with Masato hot on his heels.

"Get back here!"

The two Shinobi continued to run for a few minutes, and then Neji came to a complete stop, turned around—and with both chained arms, hit Masato's jaw.

When Tenten presumably realized what he was doing she came to back him up and kicked Masato aside the head, causing him to stumble backwards. Before she could do more, though, he gave a swift and awkward slash of his sword; catching lots of blood from Tenten's stomach and almost making himself fall over doing so. She yelped, but soon afterwards used her arms to hit him to the ground. Masato fell and Tenten stomped on him once, knelt down, and held him to the ground.

Neji knelt down next to her and searched Masato. He struggled weakly, but Tenten managed to hold him tight enough so that he couldn't escape. Neji felt something beneath the cloth that the ninja wore and pulled it out. "The keys," he said.

Masato's struggling ceased and he seemed limp. Blood leaked out from underneath him. Did he fall on his sword? Whatever happened didn't kill him. He was still breathing.

Neji scrutinized Tenten, who was also bleeding. The injury she received on her stomach looked gruesome, but was probably not at all fatal.

"Tenten, Neji!"

Neji turned at the sudden voice.

There before him was a surprise: Gai Sensei and Rock Lee.

What were they doing here? Weren't they supposed to be in Konoha? "You…" Neji breathed. He wasn't sure of what to say at their sudden arrival.

He turned his attention back to the ninja on the ground. He definitely looked unconscious. Tenten let go of Masato, stood up, and backed away. "Lee? Gai? What are you two doing here?"

"We tracked you down as best as we could," Gai said, panting. "Tsunade told us that someone in the village by the name of Sojin was wanted, and I realized that I took up a mission for you two to escort a person by that name to the Sand village… It was a mistake."

Rock lee walked forward, one hand balled into a fist and raised in front of his face. "We came as quickly as possible, I swear!"

"Sojin, where is he?" Neji asked. One of the three guards was strangled. Masato was lying on the ground, and Sojin and the other ninja guard were missing.

"He heard us in the bushes and found us. We fought a little but then he managed to run away…" Gai explained.

"Do you know who Sojin is or what he wants?" asked Tenten.

Gai shrugged. "He's supposedly a thief and the cause of a few missing Shinobi, Tsunade says. "

At least things were getting a little clearer. Neji turned back to Masato's unmoving form. "Hopefully we can question him if we need more information."

"Right," said Rock Lee. "We'll do that, and then we'll find this Sojin guy and kill him." He puffed out his chest and put on a stern face. "Whatever he was trying to do to my teammates, he won't get away with it."

Tenten smiled and approached Lee and Gai. "I'm glad to see you two. I feel a lot safer and better knowing you're here for me." She was grasping her wounded stomach, and breathing somewhat heavily.

An odd feeling of self-disappointment befell over Neji. Shouldn't he have been enough to keep Tenten safe? Why did he fail? He should have been more protective of her, and more cautious…

"Are you alright Tenten?" asked Rock Lee. "You look hurt."

Tenten coughed but smiled again afterwards. "Nah, I'm fine, Lee. _Really_. This is nothing compared to other injuries I've taken in my time," she paused before continuing. "Thanks for caring, I appreciate it."

For some unknown reason Neji felt somewhat… Jealous. He brushed it off, and felt embarrassed at that realization. Why would he feel anxious over such things, anyway? He was thanked many times by Tenten, why would this one time that Lee gets thanked should he get jealous? It was absurd.

"Come, my students. Let's take this guy somewhere to question, preferably in a safe and enclosed area…" Gai said. He looked to his left, and then to his right. "Konoha is hours away. This guy will wake up or die by the time we make it there."

That was something more productive to think about, Neji knew. He gazed around for a moment. "Sunagakure is probably equally faraway or more so," he commented.

"We could try to find that small cabin that Sojin had us in," Tenten suggested. "It's about an hour or so away from here. You might have passed it by while searching for me and Neji, Gai…"

A moment of silence passed and then Gai nodded. "Okay. Let's go then, my youthful students, and we'll try to find this cabin you mentioned."

Neji remembered something: the keys he got from Masato. He looked at them. There were three. "Hold on, Gai. I have to get these restraints off of me and Tenten." He examined them for a few seconds and then chose one to try out first. He handed it to Rock Lee, with his limited movable arms. "Try that in the hole."

"Okay," Rock Lee said, nonchalantly. He fumbled around with it, and then fitted the key into the hole. He turned it and the chains came lose and fell to the ground. "There you go."

"Good." Neji turned his now-free hands around and inspected them. The tightness from the chains caused a reddish streak on his wrists, but other than that they appeared fine. Neji enjoyed being able to completely move them around again. When the chains had been removed he felt more empowered. He grabbed the key from Lee and then looked at Tenten. "Come here. I'll get those off of you."

She did as she was told and Neji did as he told her he would.

"You're done now?" Gai asked, looking eager to go. He had already put Masato on his back, but tied a rope over his feet and arms in case he woke up and attempted to attack.

Tenten bobbed her head once. "I think so."

* * *

A while went by, maybe an hour or more. It looked about eleven or twelve o' clock, Neji figured. They had been searching for the small cabin and were finally successful in finding it.

The cabin was in an emptier part of the forest, but there were still plenty of trees around it. "Come on," Neji said. "It probably won't be long until Masato wakes up; he seems to be turning more often…"

Gai nodded, and attempted to open the door to the small house. "It… It's locked," he said as he tugged on the doorknob.

Wait a second. The keys that Masato had held before, there were three of them. Perhaps this is what they were for. "Move aside. I'll try to get it open. If this doesn't work we can break it." He picked out one of the two left over keys and placed it into the keyhole of the door. He turned, but it was unsuccessful. He tried the other key and this time it worked.

The door creaked open and Neji allowed Gai to go in first, since he had Masato on his back.

"Where do I put him?" Gai asked, grunting. "Do I put him on the floor?" He shrugged, and dropped Masato. There were blood stains all over Gai's back, Masato's blood stains. Hopefully he didn't lose too much blood. Neji didn't want him to die _too_ soon.

Rock Lee knelt beside Masato's body and checked his pulse. "Looks like he's definitely still alive… I wonder why he works for that Sojin guy?"

"I don't know Lee. But we'll find out once he wakes up," Tenten said. "For now let's just keep an eye on him."

"Tenten, you should check your wound. If we had a Medic here it wouldn't be a problem, but for now I don't want it to get infected," Neji said.

"I will," Tenten replied.

Neji bent down to shake Masato. He didn't wake up, but that was expected.

Now that they weren't in the forest, Neji had time to think. He wondered why he felt jealousy over his teammate. As far as he could recall, he never felt that way before this. Maybe it wasn't jealousy, he wouldn't know.

Again they would have to wait, wait for Masato to wake up so they could question him. The first thing Neji wanted to know was what Sojin wanted from two Shinobi. He never said that he was specifically after Neji or Tenten, so he likely just wanted two people. Sojin mentioned a brother, and that was where he was taking them to.

Neji continued to ponder on the subject. He sighed and sat on the cold floor of the cabin.

* * *

_**(A/N: **__Okay, that's Chapter two. I was sad about Neji's death before, but now I'm getting used to the thought. At least he still lives in our Fanfics, right? So that's good. But I still can't believe it, how will Tenten and Neji get together if Neji's dead? _

_I hope I didn't make any of the characters OOC or anything, I wouldn't want that._

_I appreciate any feedback and constructive criticism you would like to give me. Remember, your opinion is very valuable to me, and if you'd like to help me improve I would be very willing to chat with you. Don't hesitate to Review or PM me suggestions. :)_

_Thanks!__**)**_


	3. Chapter 3: Tenten's POV

_**(A/N: **__Okay, back to Tenten's POV.I want to thank the people who took their time to R&R for my last two Chapters, so thank you! I really appreciate it because it helps me stay focused and stops me from procrastinating. :)_

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not own Naruto or the Naruto characters. I own this story and my OCs.__**)**_

* * *

They waited for half an hour before Masato groaned and awakened. Tenten tensed and then moved closer to the captured ninja. She remembered when it was Neji and her who were held captive, now it was this man.

It took a moment for Masato to sit up. There was shock all over his face. "Where…" Masato mumbled. He tried to clench his wounded bloody stomach, but wasn't able to very well with his tied up arms. He coughed. "You. You two were our captives."

"Yes, and not anymore," said Neji, his expression plain. "We need to ask you a few questions."

Gai knelt down next to Masato. "Who are you, and why do you work for Sojin? Why was Sojin trying to capture my students, Neji and Tenten?"

These questions were exactly what Tenten wanted to know as well.

There was silence for a few seconds. Masato looked in pain and he continued to cough. "I'm one of Sojin's brothers." He coughed again, and this time blood came out. "There are three of us; me, Sojin, and Tadashi. I am the youngest… That is all I'm going to tell you."

"You didn't say why you were trying to capture us though," Tenten said. She wanted more information—as much as she could get, and the kind that Masato was giving out wasn't very valuable.

Masato shook his head. "And I won't."

That made Tenten upset. She looked at Neji, hoping that he would continue the questioning. He was better at it, she figured.

"If you don't, I'll kill you." Neji looked serious about it; but somehow Tenten doubted he would.

Those words caused Masato to laugh. "You think I care? Go ahead and do it, I'm not afraid of death! My brothers wouldn't be, so why should I?" He spat a mouth full of bloody spit onto the ground in front of Neji, and then at Gai Sensei.

"What should we do?" Lee asked Tenten in a whispered tone. "He's obviously insane."

Tenten didn't know the answer to that. She knew that Gai and Neji would, though. "I'm not sure… If we have to resort to violence I suppose we will."

Lee nodded.

"You're willing to risk death?" Gai asked.

Masato didn't reply.

_How can he be _so_ stupid_? Tenten wondered. "Why don't you answer us? Tell us what Sojin wants from us! He's responsible for other Shinobi missing, too. Why does he take them?"

Again, Masato said nothing, but instead continued his painful-sounding coughs.

"We'll have to kill you if you don't answer our questions," said Neji. "Do you want that?"

"Not really. But you'll do what you got to do."

"Why don't you give us information?" Rock Lee asked.

Masato didn't answer, as usual. Tenten was getting quite annoyed with his attitude.

"Fine," Neji said. He swiftly pulled out one of his kunais and put it roughly to Masato's throat. He pushed it until blood began to drip, and Masato grunted in pain. He struggled, but wasn't able to move very well.

Was this the right thing to do? Tenten watched in silence, and so did Gai and Lee. Was Neji really going to kill him?

"Do you have anything to say?" Neji asked, clearly aggravated. He was probably waiting for Masato to give in.

Masato shook his head calmly, and closed his eyes.

It seemed he was actually willing to let himself die to withhold a little bit of information. _What an idiot, _Tenten thought.

Neji looked at Masato intensely. He waited a few seconds. "Dammit," he said, pulling the kunai away. He turned to Gai, Rock Lee, and Tenten.

To Tenten's surprise, he quickly turned back around and kicked Masato aside his head. He fell back down in to a lying position, and was bleeding from his forehead now.

"Tell us what we want to know. _Now, _Masato. Or we'll hurt you more," Neji persisted.

Everyone stared and didn't say anything.

Masato sat back up again, but slowly. He had a snarky smile, and he chuckled. "We take Shinobi because Tadashi wants to… test his strength on people. It's that simple."

"What do you mean 'test his strength on people'? Does he hurt them?" Gai Sensei asked.

"Look, that's all I'm going to tell you," Masato said.

"Where does this Tadashi person live?" Neji questioned. "Tell us."

"If you stuck around long enough you would have found out," Masato snapped, causing himself to collapse into a fit of coughs.

The coughing was starting to look somewhat gruesome, Tenten noticed. More blood was coming out. _That can't be a good sign, _she thought.

"Dammit, just _tell_ us," Neji said. Tenten could see he wasn't totally angry or anything, but Masato was getting on his nerves quite a bit.

"No."

"That's your final decision?" Gai Sensei asked.

Masato nodded.

They weren't actually going to kill him, Tenten figured. It wasn't like Gai, Neji, or Lee. And of course not like herself, she only killed when she absolutely had to.

"Come on then," Gai said. He grabbed Masato, lifted him up, and threw him over his back, causing the injured ninja to groan in pain.

* * *

As Tenten presumed would happen, Gai Sensei put Masato in the small chamber that Neji and she had to be stuck in before. He would likely starve or bleed to death in there unless someone found him soon.

They were now outside of the cabin, and walking in the direction where Gai Sensei said Konoha was. They'd be there in quite a few hours. Gai decided that if any more signs about Sojin, Tadashi, or the unlikely Masato being around came up, they'd take care of it. For now they needed to get back to Konoha.

Tenten felt slightly exhausted after the events that took place recently. She wanted so much to be back in her home, her empty house. She had lost her large scroll during all of the conflicts, and wanted that back too. She could always get a new one, though. Tenten had kind of hoped that she would get to take care of this Sojin business, just to get it out of the way.

There were so many things she wanted.

What was that Tadashi guy doing, anyway? _Tadashi wants to test his strength on people, _Tenten remembered Masato say. But what is that supposed to mean? If Tenten and Neji hadn't escaped and they were brought to Tadashi… he would've 'tested his strength' on them. She knew what it probably meant. Tadashi killed people, didn't he? He would kill them to test his strength, and that was why people were missing from Konoha: Sojin, Masato, and their guards would bring people to his brother so he could see how strong he got.

Sick, absolutely _sick_. Tenten had heard of things just as bad or worse, though. It's just that… how could someone do that? She wasn't completely sure that was what the three ninja brothers did, but it was definitely a possibility.

"Hey Tenten," Lee said, cutting off Tenten's train of thought. "How's your tummy injury?" he asked. He seemed to be in his usual 'Lee kind of mood.'

Tenten hadn't really paid much attention to her wound, though she had enough time to check it out while they were waiting for Masato to wake up. It stung every once in a while, but that was really all. It stopped bleeding. Lee was nice for always caring about her in such a way. Gai too. Neji showed his consideration a little differently, though… Tenten knew he cared, but she'd like it if he actually asked more often, it let her know that she mattered to him. "I'm fine, Lee." She smiled. "Anyway, you had to cancel a C-rank mission, didn't you? Neji said that you were going to be on one yesterday, did you get to complete it?"

"Not really… once I heard about you and Neji, me and Gai immediately came to your rescue!" Lee said.

"Came to our rescue? You hardly saved us from anything…" Tenten said; making sure that annoyance could be heard in her voice.

Gai put a finger to his chin. "But if we hadn't come, Sojin wouldn't have heard us in the trees, and he wouldn't have come searching for us, and you probably wouldn't have been able to escape, and…"

"Alright, Gai Sensei, you win," Tenten sighed. After a moment she turned to look at Neji.

He seemed lost in his own thoughts, and probably didn't want to bother talking with them. He noticed Tenten looking at him, and she flinched. She hoped she didn't disturb him in anyway.

* * *

It was night now. They would only need a few more hours of travelling and they would be at Konoha, Tenten assumed. For now, though, the four Shinobi would sleep.

"Oh _yeah_, finally some rest…" Tenten relaxed under a tree. Gai and Lee were setting up a fire, since it was kind of cold out. She watched them do their work with ease. She remembered when Neji was putting up that tent before. He had said that he brought it more for her than for himself. It was really considerate of him, she realized.

"Tenten," Neji's voice came from behind her. "May I sit down?"

Tenten turned to look at him, and then nodded. "Sure Neji, don't bother asking," she laughed.

"Thank you," he said as he sat down.

There was silence for a moment, but Tenten decided to interrupt it. "Whatcha thinking?"

"About recent things," Neji replied simply.

"I see." Tenten didn't know what else there was to say, but she enjoyed his company nonetheless.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't able to defend you properly." What was he talking about? 'Defend her?' If anyone was going to defend Tenten, it would be herself. She could handle herself well enough without anybody's help.

"What do you mean?" Tenten asked.

"I mean that I was lousy when it came to fighting earlier. You got hurt, and I wasn't able to protect you like a teammate should do," Neji said.

Tenten chuckled. "I can take care of myself, most of the time. And besides, we were both under the effects of that poison…"she paused. "And I didn't even get hurt so bad."

"You're right," Neji agreed.

Tenten almost found it amusing that he cared about little things like that. She got more comfortable and closer to the fire that Lee and Gai made. At last she'd get some rest.

"You're going to sleep Tenten?" Lee asked from across the fire.

The answer should have been obvious. "Yep," Tenten replied.

"Good night then," Lee said.

"Good night my student," Gai piped in.

"Yeah, yeah. Good night Lee and Gai." Tenten turned over onto her side and attempted to get into the perfect sleeping position. "Oh, and good night Neji," she whispered while yawning.

He didn't reply.

* * *

When it was morning, about ten o' clock, Gai woke up Tenten with a shake. "Get up, Tenten. You're youthful, don't be so lazy."

"Uh," Tenten groaned. She felt tired still, and wished for some more sleep, but she knew she wouldn't get any with Gai around. "Whatever…"

They got ready for travelling again. At least they'd be back in Konoha today, Tenten figured. She couldn't wait to rest some at her house. However, it was likely that she'd just get assigned another mission right when she got there… she already had her week of relaxation so she would definitely have to work like a true Shinobi.

"Okay, all of my students ready?" Gai asked buoyantly.

"Yes, Sensei!" Rock Lee answered.

Tenten nodded, and so did Neji. Why were they always hyper? She was used to it by now, but watching them be so energetic all the time made Tenten feel sloppy.

"Let's go!"

They started off. Neji and Tenten remained behind, while Gai and Lee walked in front. Tenten hoped it wouldn't take too long till they got to their destination.

"When we get to Konoha, who would be up for some Curry?" asked Rock Lee.

"Me, of course!" Gai Sensei shouted. He turned to look at Tenten and Neji. "What about you two?"

"No thank you," Neji replied.

Tenten shook her head. "Not me either…" She sighed. "I'm going to have a huge plate full of Sesame dumplings when I get back. I'm so hungry right now."

"Don't worry, we'll be there in no time Tenten, you'll see!" Lee encouraged. He was always so optimistic, which was a good thing.

Tenten smiled. She glanced at Neji. He only looked at her for a second, but she could tell he was happy about having the whole Team Gai together again.

* * *

Sojin walked out of the chamber. One of his brothers, Masato, was found lying dead in it. He knew it was those Shinobi, he _knew _it.

"I'm sorry…" mumbled the last of Sojin's guards, Hiroshi.

Though it was a shame Masato was dead, there was no way Sojin wanted sympathy for his loss. No, he wanted more. He wanted _revenge _on Tenten and Neji. Those filthy killers deserve nothing less than death.

Sojin did not reply to his follower, but simply brushed past him on his way towards the exit of the cabin. If Sojin were to take revenge, he'd need help. Help from his brother Tadashi, perhaps. Tadashi was powerful indeed, but then again he hated going anywhere, and preferred to stay in the woods by the river.

It was no wonder why, for Tadashi was unarguably hideous, and because of this he vowed to stay hidden to most folk, with an exception of his brothers. Though Tadashi still wanted to test his strength every now and then…

"Where are we going to go?" asked Hiroshi.

"I want vengeance for my brother, do you understand? So we'll go to the village Hidden in the leaves, where my targets will hopefully be," replied Sojin.

"Of course, master."

"Then let us head there, but first I want to pay Tadashi a visit. I need to tell him of Masato's death, and ask him if he maybe would like to join me in my journey to Konoha." Sojin went outside of the cabin and took a deep breath, smelling the fresh air.

There was no way Sojin wouldn't get what he wanted, _no _way. He desired for those two Shinobi to be dead, and by his own hands. Though he never shared a very strong bond with Masato, he still cared for him more than other humans, and would get vengeance at whatever cost.

"You'll wait here at this cabin for me while I go to Tadashi, okay? As you know, he doesn't like strangers, whether they are good or not. It should only take a few hours, but you can wait that long, right?"

"Yes," the follower replied.

"Good."

* * *

_**(A/N: **__There it is, Chapter three. I like having the whole Team Gai together, it's nice. They make such an awesome team! Tenten's my personal favorite, but how can you not love the others too?_

_Anyway, as always I appreciate criticism because it helps me improve, and I love improving. ;) If you have anything to tell me or suggest, just give me a Review or PM because I'll be glad to listen to what you've got to say. Also, if you have a Nejiten fanfic you'd like me to check out, feel free to inform me. There's never enough Nejiten fanfics to be read… lol._

_Thanks!__**)**_


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